By Stu Whitney

January 27th,2008

Argus Leader

At a time when youth sports are too often tainted by overzealous parents or callous coaches, Cylie Pastian provides a ray of hope.

You could argue that the fifth-grader from De Smet was the most valuable player of the 16th annual Girls Tri-State Basketball Tournament, which ended Saturday after filling Sioux Falls gyms with 98 teams from five states.

Cylie didn't make a field goal, grab a rebound, dish off an assist or record a steal for the Bulldogs, who finished fourth in their section.

But the 11-year-old fired up free throws with enough care and consistency to make Shaquille O'Neal look like a rec league dropout.

More importantly, she continued to teach her teammates - and every opponent they face - that sports still can play a positive role in shaping the way we live.

Read on...